Monitoring and Measurement of Product

Good old clause 8.2.4.  Let’s review.  Your company monitors and measures the characteristics of the product to verify that product requirements have been met.  This is carried out at appropriate stages of the product realisation process in accordance with the planned arrangements.  Evidence of conformity with the acceptance criteria is maintained.  Records indicate the person(s) authorising release of product.  Product release and service delivery does not proceed until the planned arrangements have been satisfactorily completed, unless otherwise approved by a relevant authority and, where applicable, by the customer.

Don’t forget before I begin, that product / service are interchangeable.  A very nice balance of prescription and where applicable (WA).

Prescription.  Make sure what you make meets specification.  Full stop.  Too easy.  Then, you get to pick when and by what method, frequency, etc.  WA.  And you do this based on your historical data or by when the characteristics can be measured but most importantly, when they are supposed to happen based on a predetermined plan.  Goose bumps.  True quality assurance (and yes, I need to get a life).

Prescription.  Keep evidence.  Keep records.  Make sure such records demonstrate conformance and who did what when under what delegated authority.

Prescription.  Do not proceed with the next stage of anything until the defined plan has been met, even if such a plan includes overriding by either higher authorities or that absolute being, the customer.

No procedure is needed here.  No inspection and test plan is needed.  Only process and the records to back it up.  However, unless it is absolutely apparent, a simple flow chart or procedure or inspection and test plan would benefit the company.  Don’t get hung up on the structure, just generate something that is useful, clear and concise that the ‘plan’ can be achieved.